Wednesday, 29 August 2007
3.PS-79

A fifth-order reconnaissance soil map of ice-free areas of the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Malcolm McLeod, Landcare Research, Gate 10, Silverdale Road, Hamilton, New Zealand, James Bockheim, Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI WI53706-1299, and Megan Balks, Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand.

A 5th order reconnaissance soil map of ice-free areas of the Transantarctic Mountains from Northern Victoria Land to the Shackleton Range has been compiled. Soils were classified to Subgroup level using USDA Soil Taxonomy. Soils in relatively moist coastal areas of the Transantarctic mountains are dominated by Haplorthels as precipitation recharges soil moisture lost through evaporation. As a consequence ice-cemented permafrost occurs at a depth of <70 cm. In contrast, in drier inland areas ice-cemented permafrost is not recharged and depth to ice-cemented permafrost increases with age, leading to Anhyorthels where depth to ice-cement exceeds 70 cm. Lithic Subgroups occur predominantly on steeper land or where high wind speed facilitates removal of shattered rock material. The electronic version of the map can be considered to be work in progress that can be updated whenever researchers have improved soil information covering a significant area.

[Manuscript]

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